Putting him in his Place
by LittleMewLugia
Summary: It is a few hours after the events of Pokemon 2000, and Lawrence is still waiting on Lightning Island, when Lugia decides to use an unorthodox method to let Lawrence know how he feels. Was going to be a oneshot, but now extends to 5 chapters.
1. Chapter 1

This is another idea about what might have happened to Lawrence III after he got stranded on Lightning Island. It's not a serious take, but it was just begging to be written.

Putting Him In His Place.

Chapter One.

Lawrence III stood on the beach, looking out across the water to where he could see Shamouti Island, and wondering just how he was going to get back to it. Dusk was falling, and a full moon was visible in the sky. He had felt a sense of exaltation upon first finding his Ancient Mew card undamaged, had felt totally confident about starting over again, but as the sky had darkened and the night drawn in, that confidence had ebbed with the light of the setting sun.

Several hours had passed since his attempt to capture Lugia, and the attack that had sliced through his flying machine like a hot knife through soft butter. The flying machine was almost totally ruined, and would have to be re-built almost from scratch. One drawer in the arm of his control chair still worked after a fashion, and it was in there that he had placed his Ancient Mew card for safe keeping.

The other thing that was still working was his wireless e-mail system. He had sent a brief message to his friend Cyril, who was, like himself, also a collector of the rare and beautiful, informing him of his brief capture of Moltres and Zapdos, but his failure to take Articuno and Lugia. As he had not been in a particularly good mood at the time, he had given no more details. Lawrence knew that Cyril was coming to Shamouti Island in the next few days.

Abstractly, he realised that he had failed to include a warning in the message about the dire consequences of disturbing the three Legendary Birds, now known to be the Titans of Fire, Ice, and Lightning the Shamouti legend spoke of.

He frowned, damning himself for the oversight. He knew that Cyril felt rather overshadowed and bettered by Lawrence, and Cyril's greatest desire was to achieve something that Lawrence himself had never done, or even better, had attempted and failed to succeed in.

It was a certainty that Cyril would go after Lugia and Articuno to try and achieve what Lawrence himself had failed to do. He would have to have a word with him when Cyril landed, and try and put him off. Cyril was prone to be air-sick in less than calm conditions, and the turbulence of the earlier weather would definitely have sent Cyril's face an odd green tinge. Had the consequences been less dire, Lawrence felt he would have happily left Cyril to find out the hard way about not catching the birds. However, he didn't want to risk the fate of the world, nor put the Chosen One, the birds, and Lugia through a repeat of the ordeal they'd just been through to merely let Cyril learn his lesson. No, when Cyril called in to tell him he was coming in, he'd warn him off then.

He had yet to find any food or fresh water on the inhospitable rock of Lightning Island. He had ventured out, but was wary of going too far in case he accidentally blundered into Zapdos. Being close to Zapdos while Zapdos was restrained and confined by his force-field mechanisms was a different thing entirely to being close to a Zapdos who had probably remembered what had been done, and would perceive him as a threat. It was a situation Lawrence wished to avoid.

Lawrence sighed. There was no sign of any activity from Shamouti Island, and he didn't fancy spending the night on Lightning Island. Having no boat or other transportation available meant that he would have to swim for it. It was a fair distance to Shamouti Island, but Lawrence knew himself to be a competent and strong swimmer, and thought he could make it. He lifted the hem of his robes, slipped off his shoes, and took off his trousers. He didn't want to be weighed down by cloth. He undid the brooch at this throat, and began struggling out of his robes. While they were over his head, a patch of water by the shore began to froth and rise up.

Something was emerging from the water.

Lawrence pulled the robes off his head, and dropped them on the beach behind him, next to his trousers and shoes, well above the high-tide mark. He would return for them tomorrow, after hiring a boat from the Islanders. Turning back to the water, he noticed the disturbance, but was not prepared for the sight of a full-sized Lugia emerging from the water not ten feet from him. He froze in awe and fright.

Lugia didn't even pause, darting forwards impossibly fast, his mouth open. He grabbed Lawrence's left arm in his beak, and pulled him forwards before Lawrence could utter a word. He landed face-down in the water.

Lugia released Lawrence's arm from his beak, and Lawrence was glad to feel that it had not been bitten off. In fact it hadn't hurt much at all, Lugia must have used a fairly gentle bite. Lawrence lifted his head into the air, spluttering and gasped for air. He only had time for one gasp before Lugia's great white wing rose from the water, and then came down again over Lawrence, pinioning him firmly but gently against Lugia's body.

Then Lugia dived.

Lawrence felt panic rise up inside of him. When would Lugia surface again? Lawrence didn't know how long a Lugia could hold its breath, but he was sure it was longer than he himself could. He feared he would be drowned. Perhaps this was the punishment Lugia was meting out on him for daring to try and catch him? He knew that Legendaries were said to be sometimes almost human in their intelligence. Perhaps Lugia was out for revenge?

**Do not panic. You will reach the surface again by the time you need to draw breath again. This is not a punishment so much as a lesson for you. You must learn the hardest lesson of all-to put yourself in another's situation to understand how they feel. This is the best and most effective way.**

Lawrence didn't know exactly what that last cryptic remark meant, but he was relieved to hear that Lugia didn't want to kill him. A wave of dizziness washed over him, and as it cleared, he began to be aware of an odd feeling. It was almost as if he could see a pattern in the water ahead of him, or was picking up the sound of a far-distant tune.

**You can now feel the harmony between the elements of Fire, Ice, and Lightning. They are currently in perfect balance, but you will feel it if that changes. Now, I must go, and you will see me again the next time the moon is full in the sky. Until then, it's your turn.** Another wave of dizziness washed over Lawrence as Lugia released him from under his wing.

Lawrence saw Lugia sheer off as his vision cleared, and was puzzled. Lugia didn't seem as big as he had first thought. In fact, bizarrely, he seemed to be about the same size as Lawrence himself. Lawrence dismissed that. He knew Lugia's size, knew Lugia was over three times as long as Lawrence himself was high. He must be getting confused through lack of air. He had to breathe.

One stroke of his arms-and oddly enough his swimming style had changed-brought his head above the surface and he gulped in air. Looking about he was startled to find that his head seemed about a foot or so above the water's edge. How this could be when his shoulders were still beneath the surface he didn't know. He blinked, for now he was thinking about it, other things felt different too. His legs seemed powerful but not as long as he remembered. He had changed from breast-stroke to an out-and-down-and-back motion of his arms. Come to think of it, his arms felt different too, long and wide and powerful, and he couldn't feel his hands anymore. There was something else down the other end of his body too, an awareness of something that had not been there before.

Since when had he had a tail?

Lawrence let out a cry, half of startlement and half as a test. His suspicions were confirmed as he heard the cry of a Lugia instead of his own voice. Craning his neck back, he saw immense white wings, saw the blue plates he now felt on his back, saw his legs and tail.

Lugia had found the perfect way to put Lawrence in his place to understand what his life was like quite literally. Somehow, Lugia had effected a change in him, changing Lawrence himself into a Lugia.

Lawrence had heard that some of the Legendaries were rumoured to take on human shape, and he guessed this was a related ability. He had also heard that some of the Legendaries had powers that could only be guessed at, and now it seemed that he was experiencing one of those abilities. He hoped that when Lugia returned he would decide that Lawrence had learned his lesson sufficiently to see fit to change him back to his own form.

He also hoped his Lugia instincts would kick in, for he would need to eat and find a place to sleep-that is, if Lugias slept. He wasn't too worried about this, for if Lugia was half as benign as the Islanders had led him to believe, he would have taken that into account.

Then he remembered something that gave him pause for thought.

His friend Cyril was coming to Shamouti. His fellow collecting friend. His friend who yearned to succeed at something that Lawrence had not.

Like catch the three birds. And Lugia.

Lawrence gave a mental sigh. He had better start working out the weaknesses of the machines and force-field capturing mechanisms, and work out how he could exploit those weaknesses.

If he couldn't work out how to outwit Cyril, things could get _really_ messy.


	2. Chapter 2

Putting Him In His Place

Chapter Two 

He woke.

Lifting his head, Lawrence looked around at the cave he'd found a day and a half ago. He struggled to his feet, rather clumsily, as he was still not used to the Lugia body he had acquired, and moved to the exit. He had thankfully been able to fly, and had thrilled the inhabitants of Shamouti by flying low over their village three times…the first time almost _too_ low. He was convinced his tail had banged against the top of a roof. Once he had realised the degree of distraction he was causing the Shamouti Islanders, he had veered off to practice flying above the open sea

Lowering his head, he now crouched, and pushed his way out into the sea.

His instincts took over then, his tail moving and his wings now acting as flippers, and he felt a strange sense of exhilaration as he slid through the water.

He had thought through what to do about Cyril, and had thought of something he could do. He could lie low and hope Cyril didn't go after the birds-which was a pretty vain hope-or he could try and exploit the weakness of the machines.

Inertia, he'd realised, was one, but although he could easily out-fly and out-manoeuvre the machine, the force-field frames didn't have that weakness, so size was his only weapon. If he could find narrow crevasses and tight spaces to squeeze into, he might be able to hide there to avoid them.

Through his new awareness of the harmony of the elements, he now realised, more than he ever could have as a human, how fragile the balance was, how little could tip it back into disharmony. He didn't know how to stop Cyril going after the birds, and just hoped that the boy-the True Chosen One-was still around and willing to repeat the retrieval and placement of the three Treasures. Cyril would get airsick with the turbulence he knew, which would probably put him off trying once he'd tried the once. Lawrence had hoped to avoid this eventuality, but couldn't think of any way of stopping Cyril from making the attempt. Telepathic communication to warn Cyril off would mean getting within range of the firing mechanisms, and he'd be lucky if he got five words out before Cyril's force-field frames were upon him.

Of course, the other option was to use the Lugia attacks to disable and damage Cyril's ship. Lugia's Aeroblast had certainly made a mess of Lawrence's own machine. However, Lawrence considered himself extremely fortunate not to have been harmed, and he would fear harming Cyril if he did that, so attacking was one option he quickly ruled out.

His head broke the water's surface and he stretched at the feel of the sun on his head. Sweeping the sky with his eyes, he watched for the arrival of Cyril's machine in the sky. Cyril was due to arrive that day, so he needed to watch for him.

Cyril sat in his control chair-a smaller version of Lawrence's. Cyril wasn't quite as wealthy as Lawrence (or as large-framed) so everything was scaled down. Cyril looked at the schematic of the islands.

"It looks like Lawrence's ploy to flush out Lugia worked, seeing as he tried to capture him, but he ran into some problems, it seems." He murmured to himself, running his hand over his fine black hair, which was brush-cut to give it some volume. "I will employ the same methods, flush out the birds, and then hopefully Lugia will emerge to "try to quell the fighting", I presume. If I get the birds, it'll be a bonus, but if not, even if I just capture Lugia, I will have finally managed something that Lawrence hasn't!" He smiled. "He always seems to outdo me, and just once I'd like to be able to show him that he's not the only one who can do things. Just this once, I'd like to be able to brag to him about something in_ my_ collection."

"Lightning Island, Ice Island, Fire Island, coming into view." The computer told him. "Maps show that a larger inhabited island called Shamouti Island is beyond the other three. This is programmed in as your holiday destination. Do you wish to go there first?"

"No." Cyril said. "I will go there afterwards. Head for Lightning Island and deploy the electricity absorption device. Once Zapdos is caught, I'll get Articuno, and then after that I'll go after Moltres. That should be enough to summon forth Lugia."

Cyril's machine slowly changed course, and began heading for Lightning Island.

Lawrence was resting in the water, lying just on top of the waves, when he spotted Cyril's machine coming over the horizon. This could be it, he thought, hoping and praying that Cyril would go to Shamouti for a rest and some food first. That way, he might be able to get close enough to talk to Cyril without Cyril trying to collect him. Additionally, the islanders themselves would warn him against trying to catch _any_ of the Legendary birds.

'_Including, currently, yours truly._' He thought to himself. It would certainly make things easier if Cyril visited Shamouti first.

His hopes were dashed as he saw the machine beginning to change its course to head for Lightning Island, and he gave a Lugia's sigh of exasperation. It looked like poor Ash would again be called upon to risk his life to save the world. Although there could be problems, he suddenly realised. If Cyril caught the three birds, there would be no way for him to harmonise them if they were captive, and to boot he'd have to run the gauntlet of Cyril's force fields anyway. It was possible that the world would end anyway, if Cyril caught the birds.

A thought struck him, He was not the only Lugia in these waters. Somewhere, the original Lugia was waiting to restore him to his natural shape. In essence, Lawrence was surplus to requirements. In fact, he was…..expendable.

'_If it saves the world, this will be worth it._' Lawrence thought, as he rose out if the water and flew upwards.

However, even that thought could not quell the churning sickness of fear in his belly.

"Attention, attention. Lugia detected."

The voice of his computer interrupted Cyril as he prepared something to eat while waiting for his machine to reach Lightning Island. Leaving his half-prepared sandwich in the small adjoining kitchen, Cyril bolted back through to his control tower and threw himself into his chair. He saw a shape flying towards him.

"Stop where we are! Magnify!" he commanded. "Times four."

The computer obliged, and Cyril breathed in an awed sigh as he saw Lugia heading towards him, its flight seeming oddly clumsy somehow.

"There it is. So that is Lugia." He breathed. "This is almost too easy." He then addressed his computer.

"Prepare the force-field frames, but don't deploy them until I say so. Let it get closer. The closer it gets, the easier this will be." He turned back to the image of Lugia, and murmured, again to himself, "No wonder Lawrence desired to possess you. He has a good eye for the rare and beautiful, and you are certainly both of those, Lugia."

Lawrence was surprised that Cyril did not immediately move towards him or begin to fire. He began to have hope that he could get close enough to make telepathic contact with Cyril, and avert potential disaster. As he flew towards the machine, counting down the time till he could telepathically contact Cyril, he felt his heart lighten. Perhaps this would all work out after all.

Cyril watched as Lugia got closer and closer. He never took his eyes off the screen. Then Lugia stopped, hovering majestically where it was.

"Too easy." murmured Cyril. Then to the computer: "Now!"

Lawrence saw the spinning triangles emerge from the machine, and his instincts kicked in. He folded his wings and dropped, swooping downwards and then making a sharp turn, trying to shake the force-fields off his trail. He was on his third turn and swooping back up when he remembered that he didn't want to give Cyril any reason to catch any of the other birds. If that meant being captured, then so be it.

Swooping back up, he spread his wings, hovering in front of the incoming frames, and closed his eyes as they swept towards him.

"Well, well, well, what is it doing?" Cyril asked as he saw Lugia turn, and once again hover in midair. It had seemed to stop dodging the fields, just hovering directly in their path. Cyril watched as the fields surrounded Lugia, as programmed, and activated.

Lawrence gave an involuntary warbling cry as the force-frames activated. As a crushing force pressed down on him, he instinctively and consciously strained against them. Terror and pain flooded through him.

'_Oh my god, this **hurts**!_' he thought to himself. '_I didn't know that it would hurt!_ _Poor Lugia when I tried to catch him, no wonder he aeroblasted! No wonder Moltres screamed!_'

As he felt the field pressing his wings down, he feared falling, but trying to spread his wings merely increased the pain, and he stopped as the pain got so bad it was disabling. As soon as he stopped struggling, the pain abruptly subsided until it was a mild discomfort, and then he remembered the fields would not let him fall. They were designed to return to the machine they had been launched from. When Lawrence had himself attempted to catch Lugia, Lugia's Aeroblast had knocked out the control centre of his own machine, and Lugia had fallen into the ocean with the fields trapping his wings. However, Cyril's control computer was undamaged.

As the fields neared Cyril's machine, Lawrence felt himself becoming incredibly sleepy. '_He's switched on the sleep-inducing field._' He thought to himself. '_Unless he turns it off, I won't be able to communicate with him._' He briefly fought the field, but lost and his eyes closed and his head drooped gracefully on his long neck as the field held him.

Cyril came down five minutes later, and stood admiring the slumbering form for fully five minutes before going back to make his sandwich.

"I wonder why Lawrence had such difficulty? That went as smoothly as anyone could want." he murmured to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

Putting Him In His Place.

Chapter Three.

Awareness returned to Lawrence slowly, and he stretched. The confining field he encountered, plus the unusual feeling of stretching in a Lugia's form brought him to full awareness and he opened his eyes.

His friend Cyril was stood before him, looking up with a pleased expression on his face. Then it turned worried.

"I'm sorry Lawrence hasn't been to see you yet, but he appears to be missing. The Shamouti Islanders went to rescue him but found nothing but his clothes above the tide line. They were wondering if he'd committed suicide, but I told them he was not like that, and had probably tried to swim for the island. The problem is, he never arrived on the island. 'Did he drown?' they're asking. Now I know that Lawrence is a very strong swimmer, and they say that after the storm, the water was calm, and that Chosen One of theirs is supposed to have seen Lawrence still on Lightning Island just after the storm had been stilled." Cyril sighed, and briefly looked at the floor before raising his eyes to meet Lawrence's.

"Look, I hope the Islanders were right about you being intelligent enough to understand humans. It is said that Lugia spoke with his mind to the Chosen One and his companions. If anyone might know what actually happened to Lawrence, it might be you. Did he drown, or did some other misfortune befall him?" Cyril's eyes darkened as he straightened up.

"Did you, Lugia, kill him, either accidentally or deliberately?"

Lawrence's shocked outburst came out as an outraged Lugia bellow. Mentally, Cyril heard a 'shouted' mental **NO! A Lugia would not do such a thing!**

"Ouch, okay, no need to shout!" Cyril, said, recoiling in fright even though Lawrence was helpless in the force-fields. "Do you have any idea what happened to him? I'm really worried. His disappearing like this is totally out of character."

Lawrence sighed. **Yes, I know exactly what happened, but you would never believe me if I tried to explain.**

"Try me." Said Cyril. "There is a lot I'd believe about Lawrence, and about you, Lugia. I have heard it said that the Legendary Pokémon have abilities we do not know about."

**No, you would not believe me, I know you, Cyril Smart.** Lawrence said. **But I can assure you that I-I mean your friend Lawrence, is still alive, but is somewhat-indisposed.** He closed his eyes briefly, wishing he could tell Cyril, but knowing the limits of Cyril's belief. **I can tell you that he should be available after the next full moon, but until then, you will have to wait and see.**

"Okay, I'll have to trust you on that, and hold on to the hope you have given me. In what way is he indisposed? Can you tell me?"

**He's the captive audience of a very good friend of his. **Lawrence said, unable to resist a small smile at his own expense. **I'm sorry I can't tell you any more, but he is alive and well.**

Cyril nodded. "My thanks to you, and I'm going to have a special environment with a cave and water to swim in built for you. I don't think that I could leave you in the force-fields like that for too long, and I'd like to be able to see you in a more natural environment, to draw and paint you, and possibly later swim with you. But until then, this is all I have." He took a small remote control out of his pocket, and pressed it. "To ease the waiting for you, I will send you back to sleep, so goodnight."

Lawrence felt sleepiness overtake him, and managed to direct one last, desperate thought to Cyril before the sleep-inducing field fully activated.

Don't go after the birds! It'll get turbulent and the world will end! Do you want to meet your death with your head down the toilet?

Cyril walked back to his lift to the outside. He had a whole new island to explore. The islanders had been very hospitable to him, and Cyril was sure he would enjoy this holiday. Then he paused, looking back at the sleeping captive bird he had.

The Lugia had said to him '**No, you would not believe me, I know you, Cyril Smart.**'

How had it known his name? What did it mean when it said it knew him? This was the first time he had seen Lugia in any other form but pictoral, drawn in books and photos of stone carvings. So how could Lugia know him? And it's last comment? He could believe Lugia would think he would want to go after the birds by the fact he had caught Lugia itself, but how would it know he got airsick in turbulence? He would have put it down to the fact that Lugia was psychic, and had merely read his mind, except for one thing.

If Lugia had gained its knowledge by reading Cyril's mind, Lugia would not have needed to warn him off the birds. Between being satisfied enough with just possessing Lugia, and the dire warnings the Shamouti islanders had given him about not interfering with the birds, he had already decided to leave them well alone. If Lugia had read his mind, he would have found that out, so there had to be another explanation for it.

He would have to get back that night and have another conversation with that remarkable bird.


	4. Chapter 4

Putting Him In His Place

Chapter Four 

Lawrence's plight had not gone unnoticed. A sleek, streamlined shape was speeding towards Shamouti Island as fast as it could swim.

Cyril got in later that day, clutching a book he'd borrowed from the Headman, Tobias, entitled "_Legendary Pokémon: Facts and theories._" In his other hand he held a bottle with a liquid in it. He had gone to visit Tobias to find out more about Lugia, who had helped him find information in that very book. He had had to pussyfoot around the subject very carefully, to ensure he did not reveal to the Island chief that he had their Guardian captive in his machine.

While reading through the massive tome, which was not easy reading by any means, the chief had placed a glass of fruit juice on the table next to him, and Cyril had been sipping from it throughout the time he'd been there. As it had never seemed to become empty, Cyril suspected it had been refilled throughout the day. He had read less and less and talked more and more as the day went on, and because he'd not finished reading it, Tobias had kindly given him the loan of the book.

When Cyril had seen time was getting on, he had apologised but told them he had to go. As soon as Cyril had stood up to leave, the world had suddenly gone lopsided, and he had to grab the chair again to avoid falling over. It was then that Adele, Tobias' wife, had remarked that "Your visitor is unused to Moltres' fury, Tobias." Upon asking, Tobias had explained that the fruit juice had also contained small amounts of his own very powerful version of the Island brew. The usual stuff was sold down the shop as "Fire Island", but Tobias informed Cyril that his own special version was distilled again, and was stronger, earning it the name "Moltres' Fury." Cyril had groaned, guessing that this revelation augured a monster hangover the next morning. Adele had obviously divined the reason for his groan, for she went out and brought back a bottle filled with a pinky-yellow, thick-looking fluid. Handing it to him, she had told him to drink it first thing in the morning.

Cyril sat in his chair, and went back to reading the book. He had seen something interesting in there, a theory about most Legendary Pokémon being shape shifters. Personally, he thought it made sense-if a Ditto could change it's shape naturally, and other Pokémon could be given a TM to learn Transform, it made sense that some, if not all, Legendaries, could do this too. It was the paragraph below that caught his attention that theorised that Legendary Pokémon might not just be able to shift their own shape, but that of other Pokémon, or even humans. Perhaps stone cold sober, Cyril might not have thought it likely, but with a skinful of Moltres' Fury, he thought it a possibility: Was Lugia actually Lawrence?

Putting the book down, Cyril made his way over to the force-field with its slumbering occupant, and used his remote to take off the sleep-inducing field.

Again, Lawrence came to awareness. Had Cyril completed the enclosure for him already? He was slightly disappointed, for he had hoped that Lugia would have restored him to his natural shape by now. Surely the enclosure would take more than a month to build? Perhaps the force-fields were inhibiting Lugia's ability to find or restore him?

Opening his eyes again, Lawrence found himself looking at a Cyril who was still dressed the same as the last time he'd seen him, but obviously the worse for wear. As Lawrence watched, Cyril hiccuped with such force that he almost fell over.

**Cyril, you're drunk!** Lawrence said as he noticed Cyril's unfocused eyes, and the bottle of hangover cure Cyril was still holding.

Cyril began to nod, but the motion appeared to be ill-advised, as he stopped abruptly, putting his free hand to his head.

"Only my friend Lawrence speaks to me like that." Cyril said. Lawrence was about to continue when he realised that Cyril had spoken as a statement of fact, not as an admonition. It was Cyril who continued.

"Yep, I dunno how he's done it, but Lugia turned you into him, didn't he? This must be embarassin' for you. Poor Laurie."

**I'm rather glad you worked it out. **Lawrence said. **I was wondering just how I was going to tell you in a believable way. I had no idea how to convince you I wasn't just being a devious Lugia just saying things to try and escape.**

"Yeah, well, maybe I should let you out." Cyril said. "Thank Tobias and Adele, they loaned me the book that put me on to the idea. Despite all the stuff you know about me, without the statement of the book about Legendary's powers, I still wouldn't've believed you." Cyril walked over to his control panel, and looked at the buttons.

"There's twice as many of these as there should be." Cyril said, confused. "Which one will let you down?" Cyril jabbed at one button (it took three attempts to hit it), and Lawrence was rather alarmed to find himself turning upside-down."

**Not that one, Cyril!** he cried out, Cyril managed to hit the same button again to reverse the move, then tried another one, which only succeeded in shrinking the confining field so Lawrence was getting more scrunched up and uncomfortable by the second.

**Not that one either, Cyril. Could you stop this before it crushes me? **Cyril hurriedly found the right button, and Lawrence sighed with relief as the pressure on him subsided.

"I'm sorry, Lawrence, I can't remember which button is which." Cyril said.

Lawrence knew that the force-fields had a variety of settings, including total stasis and airtight, and decided that it was too dangerous to allow Cyril to keep pressing buttons at random and hope to get the correct one.

Look, Cyril, I think you need to go and sleep that stuff you've drunk off, whatever it is. Lawrence said. I've been in here for at least a few hours, I can cope for as long as it takes for you to sleep it off and sober up. Don't bother with the sleep field either, if you press the wrong button, the results could be awkward, painful, or messy. I'll see you in the morning.

""Sorry." Cyril said again, and staggered off towards his living quarters. Lawrence watched until Cyril was out of sight, and didn't relax until he heard drunken snoring coming from the direction Cyril had gone in. It was then that he began looking around Cyril's exhibition hall in an attempt to keep himself from boredom for possibly up to twelve hours or so.

Five hours later, the real Lugia climbed ashore on Shamouti Island, and headed for Cyril's machine.


	5. Chapter 5

Putting Him In His Place 

Chapter Five

It being evening, Lawrence soon found himself getting sleepy, despite the fact that he'd spend much of the last three days in an enforced sleep. He'd looked over what of Cyril's exhibition hall he could see, and was too nervous to try turning around. He was too unused to the suspending effect of the force-field, not sure how to turn in what were effectively weightless conditions in this body he had only had a few days to get used to. The darkening sky through the windows, combined with the boredom, conspired to send Lawrence into a semi-doze.

He wasn't sure how much longer it was when he became aware of a psychic voice in his head.

I have returned. This was an unforseen circumstance, so I have returned to assist you.

**Lugia?** Lawrence queried in the same manner. Is that you?

**Yes, it is I**. Lugia replied.

**So this is how you intended to get revenge on me?** Lawrence said. **I must say it is unusual, but very effective. I've had enough already.**

**Revenge? **Lugia repeated the word in such an astonished tone of voice that Lawrence was convinced the amazement was real. **What is this 'revenge' you speak of? **

Lawrence was amazed to realise that the concept was totally alien to this Guardian of the Seas.

**You mean you didn't read my mind, find out that my friend Cyril, who had similar designs as I was coming, and deliberately leave me as his target to get your own back on me?** He asked.

**You really think I would put you through what I tried to avoid myself?** Lugia asked. **You humans have nasty ideas. No, I did not. I had no way of knowing this friend of yours was coming.**

**But you are psychic. You could have read my mind and known that way. **Lawrence replied.

**I will scan the thoughts a human is thinking of at the time if necessary. It is how I knew you to fear drowning when I pulled you into the water.** Lugia responded. **However, to read your deeper thoughts would have required more effort on my part, and discomfort for you. I would not invade the privacy of your mind in such a way.** Lugia told him.

**Well, whether you intended it or not, it's happened. This is very uncomfortable and I swear to you that I have learned my lesson. I knew Cyril would try to catch the birds to draw you out, knew that the world could be imperilled again if he did that. So I flew out and allowed myself to be caught to stop him. I sacrificed myself in the hope that having caught a Lugia, he'd leave the birds alone, and it seems it worked, for he hasn't gone after them. **Lawrence remembered the scene of events leading to his capture and hoped Lugia was reading his surface thoughts now, to see the truth of what he said. **I promise that I will become like a Shamouti Islander, and will put the word out to all the other collectors I know that you and the birds are a no-go, and why. I will try to be a Guardian to you and the three birds in my own limited fashion, as much as I can. I have learned, honestly, you must see that! **

**Yes, I do see that what you are saying is true.** Lugia responded, and Lawrence fancied that his mental tone was gentler. **I sought only to let you know for a month what a responsibility it was that I bear. Although your capture by this man was unintentional, it has indeed taught you what you needed to learn. I do not think any more lessons are needed. **

Lawrence could now see Lugia through one of Cyril's windows. Lugia was peering in through it, and could see Lawrence suspended in the force field. Lugia's eye blinked as Lawrence watched.

**How well do you know these mechanisms? Will the field adjust to you as your size changes? I do not wish to restore you to yourself only to have you ripped apart by the forces around you. **

Lawrence winced at the mental image Lugia's words invoked. **I know these things well enough to know that they adapt to the subject inside of them. They will adapt as I change size, it is safe to change me back. **Lawrence told him, glad he'd read up on the technical specifications of the force-fields when he'd bought them. He knew that Cyril would have the same ones, for it was Cyril who had told him where he could get the force-fieldsfrom. Cyril had several contacts, both legal and shady, and if you wanted a certain product, Cyril knew where to go, or knew someone else who knew where to go for it.

**Then I shall do so. **Lugia said. **It will involve some sensory distortion as your body changes from Lugia to human. This could be distressing if you experienced it while using your senses. It would be less uncomfortable for you if you close your eyes and try to blank your mind during the process.**

Lawrence closed his eyes.** Okay, you can start. **he said. He tried to blank his mind, but found he could not fail to feel his body begin to shrink, his wings becoming arms, his tail disappearing, his legs beginning to lengthen. He was aware of his neck shortening, his head changing shape, and a dizziness overcame every other sensation, washing over him like a wave over a beach. He opened his eyes once the dizziness had cleared, and stretched, flexing his human fingers again, feeling his legs, and his arms stretch. He put his hands u and felt his own hair, pulling the curly side-locks forward to look at and confirm that he had his hair back.

"Thank you!" he said, knowing that Lugia would hear.

It was at this point that Cyril walked in.

"Lawrence, you're back to yourself!" he said. "How? Lugia?" he asked. He looked at where Lawrence's eyes were looking, and turned to see Lugia peering in. "That's Lugia!" Cyril said, quite unnecessarily.

"Don't even **_think _**about it, Cyril!" Lawrence said, having seen the glint in Cyril's eyes, and Cyril's look towards his chair. "Lugia's out of bounds from now on. If he's caught and the birds battle, the world is royally screwed. It's possible that catching Lugia and leaving the birds alone wouldn't mess up the world, but I think it would happen sooner or later. I think the birds live in harmony because Lugia keeps things that way. Take him away, and the harmony isn't maintained. All it would then take is one little thing to go out of balance, and the knock-on effect unbalances everything else and bang! There goes the world's weather and we're back to a current, tornadoes, and the flooding of the world."

Cyril looked uncertainly at Lugia. "Is he right?" he asked.

**Yes, he is correct. Remember: he has been a Lugia himself. He knows these things because he himself was subconsciously keeping the three elements in balance.**

"Lugia is vital to the balance of the elements." Lawrence told Cyril. "Think about it. Even catching Lugia could be the event that puts things out of kilter. Cyril, you've had Lugia in your collection, even if it was me in a Lugia's body. I was still a Lugia, and you caught me. I've never done that, you've beaten me there. Heck, you've done something else no-one else has nor, I hope will ever do again."

"What's that then?" Cyril asked. Lawrence spread his arms and gave Cyril an embarrassed smile.

"You've had ME in your collection!" he said. "In human form, I may add. I don't intend for anyone else to get the chance. If you want bragging rights, Cyril, you've got them-you've collected Lugia and I. No-one else need know that it was me both times."

Cyril nodded. "Okay, I guess you're right. It's a shame. I would have trained him, swam with him, made friends with him."

**Swimming and befriending is still possible while I am free.** Lugia told Cyril. **Or do I need to give you the same lesson I gave my would-be Guardian there?** He asked, nodding towards Lawrence.

"Um-no, I don't think that will be necessary, Sir." Cyril said. "I won't try to catch you."

"Okay, Cyril, there's just one more thing you need to do." Said Lawrence.

"What's that?" asked Cyril, looking a bit confused. Lawrence looked down at Cyril, and spread his arms to indicate the frames and the energy between them that still kept him suspended.

"Would you mind letting me _down_?"


End file.
